Iranian artist Bahman Mohasses dies at 79

TEHRAN -- Iranian painter and sculptor Bahman Mohasses died of pulmonary heart disease at his home in Rome, Italy on July 28. He was 79.

Mohasses was an outstanding painter and sculptor as well as a good translator. Persian translation of works by Italian authors Italo Calvino and Curzio Malaparte, and French authors Eugène Ionesco and Jean Genet are some of his other accomplishments.
Born in 1921 in Rasht, Gilan Province, Mohasses traveled to Europe in 1951 and chose Rome to stay. He studied at the Academy of Art in Rome, and attended several solo and group exhibitions in Italy and other countries. He also attended the biennials in Rome, Paris and Sao Paulo.
Mohasses returned to Iran in 1963 and staged the play “The Chairs” by Ionesco. Some years later in 1967, he decided to go back to Italy and continued living in Rome until he died. He used to visit Tehran every now and then but few were in touch with him.
He was recalled by his friend Hossein Mahjubi as the artist who used to notice unhappiness more than happiness. “His works were outstanding, but the portraits and the birds in his artwork somehow reflects pessimism and shows the problems in life.”
“Bahman had an introverted personality and most of his family members were also the same, and that is why we had little news about him,” Mahjubi told the Persian service of MNA.
“Bahman and Aidin Aghdashlu were students of master Habib Mohammadi in Rasht. I was living in Lahijan then, but used to see them in Rasht and used to follow their works,” he said.
Two years ago, Bahman came to Tehran to sell one of his old sculptures. “I saw him then. He was not talking much and I did not dare to ask about his works in Rome. We only talked about the sculpture which he did not sell since he did not come to an agreement with the customer anyway,” Mahjubi said.
A selection of his works preserved at the Jahan-Nama Museum of the Niavaran Palace went on public display several months ago.
The details of his funeral ceremony are yet to be announced.
Photo: A painting by Bahman Mohasses